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01/09/2012 11:00 PMIt is the opening of the municipal budget season, a time when many department heads and commission members lay out their budget requests for the 2012-2013 fiscal year. First Selectman Fillmore McPherson has already given the departments and commissions his guidelines.
"I remain committed to fiscal planning that allows for the continuance of services with an acute awareness of the economic constraints currently being faced by the citizens of Madison," he said in a November memo.
On Wednesday, Jan. 18, it all begins. The boards of Selectmen and Finance will meet jointly at Town Campus beginning at
12:30 p.m. to hear budget presentations from department heads. On Saturday, Jan. 21, the two boards will meet with the non-profit organizations the town helps to fund and they will talk about capital reserve accounts.
From Jan. 24 through Feb. 9, the Board of Selectmen will undertake its review of the budgets, including a Feb. 1 presentation, with the Board of Finance, of the Board of Education budget. The public hearing on the budget requests is scheduled for Feb. 16, and here the Board of Finance becomes the major player. It will work through February and most of March to decide what budgets to present to an April 23 public hearing and later a May 15 referendum.
"I've asked everyone to take a hard look at all activities to see if there is an opportunity to redirect their resources," McPherson said. "I know there have been capital projects we may have postponed over the past few years and perhaps we have to address those now. We will do so in a thoughtful manner." He said the funds the town has regularly set aside in reserves "have been short-changed somewhat" in previous years. "We can no longer do that."
In his memo to department heads, the first selectman said, "I recognize the importance of funding our capital project and reserve accounts, however, I ask that due to the current fiscal constraints no additional funding be requested over the 2011-2012 level. There will be a completed review of the appropriation funding level for our capital projects and reserve accounts during the budget process."
The budget workshops are public meetings. This month's schedule is listed here.
Wednesday, Jan. 18 at 12:30 p.m.
at the Town Campus. Presentations by:
• Beach and Recreation and seniors at 12:30 p.m.
• Youth and Family Services at 1:30 p.m.
• Town services at 2 p.m.
• Land use department at 2:30 p.m.
• Building Department at 2:45 p.m.
• Health Department and emergency management at 3:15 p.m.
• Technology, public works and facilities at 4 p.m.
• Long-term capital projects and planned and cycled maintenance at 5 p.m.
Saturday, Jan. 21 beginning at 9:15 a.m. at the Town Campus:
• Scranton Library at 9:15 a.m.
• Madison Hose Company at 10 a.m.
• North Madison Fire Company ay 10:45 a.m.
• Madison Ambulance at 11:30 a.m.
• VNA at noon.
• Police Department at 1:30 p.m.
• Capital reserve accounts at 2:30 p.m.
The Board of Selectmen then continues with its review of all budget requests, line by line. Those sessions are all at the Town Campus: Tuesday, Jan. 24 at 7:30 a.m.; Thursday, Jan. 26 at 7:30 a.m.; and Tuesday, Jan. 31 at 7:30 a.m. Workshop sessions may be added or subtracted as needed.